Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Since I served on the liturgical music committee for the ELW up to about a year before the publication of the book, I can share with you some of what went into its development. At the time this committee was disbanded, we were still thinking two or three settings would be included and it was difficult deciding which they would be. It was quite the surprise to find ten settings when it was released! What is now setting nine, however, was at play during my time on the committee.

It seemed a difficult time for the church to create a common resource for worship as the musical language of its individual communities included a very wide spectrum of style and cultures. One question we raised as a committee was whether it would be possible for a composer create a set of melodies for the ordinary of the mass (Kyrie, Gloria, This is the Feast, Gospel Acclamation, Great Thanksgiving, Lamb of God) that could be transported across several stylistic lines. In other words, a set of melodies which might sound “at home” equally with an Anglican organ/choir language, a praise band culture, Black Gospel, with Latino rhythms, or even unaccompanied. Quite challenging indeed! We commissioned a small number of composers to attempt this very thing. One composer politely declined saying it was not possible. Another tried unsuccessfully. Yet another was Marty Haugen, whose setting became setting 2 of ELW, but is really not a multi-styled piece, it’s Haugen. As it should be.

Setting nine came the closest for several of us on the committee. We sang it several ways: without accompaniment, with organ/style accompaniment, with Black Gospel accompaniment – it seemed at home in all those “clothes.” But it stood out to me above the other 100 or so settings we looked at for some additional reasons. It was one of the few that was distinctive. It wasn’t a re-make of a former success. It was a trajectory language, not one that looked back to a recent popular era (this is what settings 2 by Marty Haugen, and 8 -an attempt at folk, “contemporary” styles do.). Even the two ethnically based settings (6, Black Gospel and 7, Latino) designed for those communities are not new settings. Setting 10 is supposed to be the “easy” one for churches without many resources for musical leadership, and it utilizes supposedly familiar hymn tunes. The concept is like Martin Luther’s Deutsche Messe. The chorales of Luther’s settings are such high quality, I’d want to opt for them when we use this concept at Mount Olive. Setting nine, by Joel Martinson was a new style that combined some of the input of our convergent musical languages on this continent in a mature way.

It also had other attributes that some of us felt important. It WAS NOT immediate. We sang the Sanctus, all looked at each other with a sense of “well…..” (uncertainty). We sang it again, and perked up a bit. Again and we started to get more excited. It really grew on us. This is a good thing, as in our time and culture everything that is immediate leaves us just as quickly. We need mature things to grow into, and this is the closest we came to finding that kind of setting.

I think of “This is the Feast” (one of the more difficult canticles in the setting) in a modern Anglican style, not unlike William Mathias. The music has some angularity to the melodies, crispness to the almost percussive use of the organ with the chords and rhythm. And there’s an integrity to it that does not try to be anything other than what it is! Of all the musical styles it might fit, I find our particular setting (organ/choir, Anglo-Catholic Liturgical expression) a very comfortable home for this musical style.

Give it time. I remember vividly how “angular” folks thought setting 1 of LBW’s Hymns of Praise felt to folks at first. Now they are unbeatable. They will remain in the canon of the church’s song, no doubt. A colleague and church musician friend talked about being careful with what we “try”- our time in song is precious and not to be wasted. But one of the things we should be mindful of is longevity – we should try something, he says, for seven years before evaluating. So we have to choose carefully even what we “try”. But I think this is a worthwhile setting that will find its place for us as one of the many options we will use on a regular basis.

- Cantor David Cherwien

Summer Worship Schedule

Please note that from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, we celebrate one Sunday Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. This year, summer schedule begins on Sunday, May 29 and runs through Sunday, September 4.

The WolfGangThis Sunday, May 15, 2011 – 4:00 p.m.

The WolfGang was formed in 1996 as a collaboration to perform music from the Classical Era on period classical instruments. The group consists of Stanley King (oboe), Mary Sorlie (violin), Steve Staruch (viola), Laura Handler (cello), Gail Olszewski (fortepiano), and Paul Jacobson (flute).

They return to Mount Olive’s Music and Fine Arts series this year to present an all-Beethoven program.

A reception will follow the concert.

Neighborhood Ministries Newsletter

The spring issue of Greetings from Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries is printed and will be distributed this Sunday, May 15, after each liturgy. If you are not in church that Sunday, you may pick one up any time at the window of the main office.

Adult Education, Sundays May 15 and 22

Bob Lee will lead a discussion entitled, “Responsible Enterprise” over the next two Sundays. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors and this presentation will outline the difficult, but possible, path to accept Jesus’ command and end the immorality of poverty.

Summer Jobs After School Volunteers Needed

Summer is almost upon us and I am preparing for the Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries youth program, Jobs After School. It will run from June 27 through August 12. This program is in need of volunteers to help supervise the many projects in which the J.A.S. kids will be involved. If you can volunteer one day a week (that's 7 total days for the summer) for two to three hours each day to mentor four youth this summer, please call me at Mount Olive, 612-827-5919.

- Donna Neste

Meal Serving Volunteers Needed!

This coming weekend, May 13-15, an RIC (Reconciling in Christ) training event is taking place at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2730 E. 31st St., Minneapolis (our neighbor to the east).

Mount Olive is a leader in the RIC program and we need help serving two of the meals at that training. The food and food preparation have been taken care of but we still need three helpers at each meal to set up, serve the meal, and then clean up for the dinner on Friday evening May 13 at 6 pm, and also for the lunch on Saturday, May 14 at 12:15 pm.

If you can help at one or both of these meals please call or email Paul Nixdorf as soon as possible. Paul’s phone number is 612-296-0055; his email address is pn@paulnixdorf.com.Thank you.

A Message from Pastor Crippen

Greetings, sisters and brothers! I wanted to give a little more details about my trip (so you know just what your pastor is up to while gone) and also about who will cover for some of my pastoral duties while I’m in Israel.

Liz Beissel (612-245-7067) and Neil Hering (952-938-9568) will be covering pastoral care concerns during my time away, so please call if you have need of a pastor. Art Halbardier will preach and preside on 4 Easter, May 15, and Rob Ruff will preach and preside on 5 Easter, May 22. Thanks to these faithful servants for helping the congregation in this way!

Some have asked about my itinerary. I’ll spend Tuesday May 10 in travel, and will arrive in Tel Aviv May 11. It looks as if we will stay every night in Jerusalem, and have day trips to various other cities. We’ll visit Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Sderot, as well as sites within Jerusalem. We’ll have a meeting with people at Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives, with leaders of the Palestinian Lutheran community, Palestinian Authority officials, Israeli defense forces members, Israeli and Palestinian journalists, and groups working for peace between the two peoples. It should be an enlightening and challenging trip. There will be eight days actually spent in the Holy Land.

I will keep you in my prayers as I am gone, and I would covet your prayers as well, my sisters and brothers, and invite you to keep all these peoples in your prayers as they seek the peace and justice God desires in this Holy Land.

In Christ,Joseph

Foods of Many Nations

This MONAC fundraiser will be a great opportunity to sample foods of a variety of countries and cultures right at your church! This event will be held following the second liturgy on June 19, in the Undercroft. It will feature samples of some signature foods of many different countries. Participants will be invited to visit various stations to sample a small serving at each station. (We promise you will get enough to eat!) Cost for this event will be $12 for adults and $5 for children. The proceeds will be used to purchase needed kitchen equipment. Come prepared for an eating adventure!

Mount Olive’s newest members, received May 1, 2011, are pictured below. Within a few weeks, we will begin to introduce them in The Olive Branch. In the meantime, when you see them, extend a warm welcome!

The annual Synod Assembly of the Minneapolis Area Synod was held on May 6 and 7, 2011 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie. The assembly’s theme was “A Community Gathered by Christ from Stranger to Neighbor.” Friday night the assembly celebrated the Eucharist and Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was the preacher. Mount Olive’s voting members were Adam Krueger, Ann Sorenson, and Pastor Crippen. Adam Krueger provided this report of the assembly for the Olive Branch.

Assembly HighlightsOne of the first orders of business was to welcome the Rostered Leaders who joined the Synod in 2010, including our own Rev. Joseph Crippen and member, Rev. Sharon Baglyos and former Cantor, Mark Sedio. Milestones recognized included rostered leaders who retired in 2010 (including former Mount Olive Pastor, Rev. Mark Wegener), those celebrating significant anniversaries of ordination, and congregations celebrating anniversaries.

The 523 voting members of the assembly passed resolutions to:

• Speak and act to prevent bullying, harassment and related violence (and memorializing the 2011 Churchwide Assembly to do the same)• Increase the number of youth representatives on the Synod Council to two• Authorize the Office of the Bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod to call upon national leaders to investigate FBI raids on local peace activists (and memorialized the 2011 Churchwide Assembly to make a similar call upon the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA)• Approve budgets for 2011 and 2012• Join with others in opposing the introduction of casino gambling in downtown Minneapolis.Delegates also defeated a resolution to limit assets derived from the disposition of North Minneapolis congregations to ELCA mission initiatives in North Minneapolis and deferred a resolution to increase the quantity and quality of resources for young people who are considering their relationship to the military back to a committee of the Synod Council.

Bishop Johnson’s Report

Bishop Johnson reported that 13 of the Synod’s 167 congregations conducted a 1st vote to leave the Synod following last summer’s actions of the Churchwide assembly, 10 of which passed and moved on to the required 2nd vote, 9 of which passed. Nationally, 4% of congregations have taken similar action. One new congregation in our synod (in Elk River) also began from these actions. They have called a Pastor, Youth Director and average 200-300 worshippers a week and contribute 10% of their offerings to missions. Bishop Johnson gave thanks for the Pastors and congregations of the Synod who welcomed refugees from departing congregations and urged the Church to move forward to be light and life to our cities and world.

He also shared work being done on the Mission Engagement Initiative to pursue a shared leadership model for growing missions in the Synod. With the living Christ by our side, nothing will hold us back.

To date, 55% of our congregations have participated in the Malaria Initiative contributing $65,000.

Keynote Speaker

Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, co-founder of INTER-RACE, a diversity think tank located at Augsburg College, addressed the assembly on Strangers & Angels based on Hebrews 13:2. While Lutherans are generally great at hospitality, she reminded delegates that being a stranger can be risky and that we are all (including Jesus) strangers to someone.

But when we are hospitable, we receive gifts (angels unaware). The way we do hospitality becomes radical when we do it as Christ did. Not all strangers are angels, but all are created in the image of God. Sin obscures and distorts that image of God and prevents hospitality. So we must always guard against discriminating against those who are different (strangers). And when we discriminate, we fail to love the stranger and we fail to love God.

Most of us don’t know what to do with our guilt because we often confuse guilt (I did something bad) with shame (I am bad). It is important that we confess our sin, get over ourselves, and move on with the work of hospitality. As we live in the grace of our baptism with its accent on forgiveness, it has the power to make strangers into a community of neighbors, who• Remove any notion of superiority• Remove exclusion of others• Live beyond self for the sake of our neighbor• Absolve and are absolved by one another• Work for reconciliation and restoration• Persevere when the task is difficult• Do not seek vengeance or become embittered

Bishop Hanson’s Report

Bishop Hanson compared the ELCA to an ecology of inter-dependent ecosystems (congregations, universities, women, youth, etc.). The tendency in most ecosystems is to turn in and focus on itself which leads to the death of the ecology. This is not the case with the ELCA when 55% of our giving is focused on growing the ecology. We can do much more together than we can do alone and what defines us as a church is our relatedness to others (ecumenical and evangelical) in Christ and not our separateness. He stressed that the body of Christ is a gift to us, not to be dismembered, but to find ways to come together in mission and ministry for the world.